"Hitherto"

Before the clock strikes midnight tonight, I thought it would be well to reflect on the past year. Yes, there have been many challenges and struggles, but there have been so many ways and so many times that the Lord has blessed abundantly. My devotional this morning was from C. H. Spurgeon. It said so well what I would have liked to say, I wanted to post it here.

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the PAST. Twenty years or seventy, and yet "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health; at home, abroad, on the land, at sea; in honor, in dishonor, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation--"hitherto hath the Lord helped!".

We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is wonderful to gaze from one end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with it's branching pillars and it's arches of leaves. Even so, look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys.

Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely, there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto".

But the word also points FORWARD. For when a man gets up to a certain mark, and writes "hitherto", he is not yet at the end; there are still distances to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease and death.

Is it over now? No!! There is more yet--awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. Oh, be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer", for

"He who hath helped thee hitherto, Will help thee all thy journey through"
(C.H.Spurgeon)